Vehicle-wheel.



w. L. HOWARD. VEHICLE WHEEL.

APPLIOATIOH FILED JULY 16, 1 910.

Patented May 2, 1911.

WITNESSES:

m E N M T 7 M n T Y, Du or /0 WILLIAM L. HOWARD, OF TRENTON, NEW JERSEY.

VEHICLE-WHEEL.

Speci cation of Letters Patent,

Patented May 2, 1911.

Application filed July 16, 1910. Serial No. 572,246.

the following is a full, clear, and exact de scription.

My invention relates to certain improvements in vehicle wheels of thattype in which the tire is. carried by a removable rim, so that in caseof a puncture or other injury to the tire, the injured tire and the rimmay be readily removed and replaced by a new rim carrying apreviously'infiated tire.

More articularly, my invention relates to certain improvements in thattype of construction shown in my previous Patent No. 932,862, issuedAugust 81, 1909;. In this type of construct-ion I employ one or moregrip ing members which are movable circum erentially. over cam surfaces,so that they will-at the same time be forced outwardradially to rip theinnersurface of the r mandpositively lock the latter in place; V'.'-'-My present invention involves an imptovedfformof mechanism foroperating hese gripping members, and the object of theinvention is tosecure the rapid move ment of the grippin members during the vportion oftheir trave when they exert very (it/C16, any pressure, and to permitofa "slow movement of said members during the portion of their travel whenthey are forced into their final or terminal gripping position. A rotarymember is provided which may. be turned in anysuitable manner, and thespeed of the gripping members varies in respect to the speed of therotar inember, as the latter is turned.

Re erence is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of referenceindicate"oorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side view of a Wheel, a portion thereof being broken a'wayto show my improved mechanism; Fig. 2 is a plaiiview of the operatir.mechanism for the gripping members, t e rim being removed; and

Fig. 3 is a face view of the nut lock for normally reventing the turningofthe rotary mem er.

My invention is adaptable for use in connection with any type of wheelin which there is a removable tire carrying rim secured in place by oneor more circumferentially movable gripping members. In the accompanyingdrawings I have illustrated a wheel similar to that illustrated in myprevious patent above referred to and in my previous patent No. 929,437,issued July 27, 1909. In this wheel a felly 10 of wood or other suitablematerial carries a channelshaped peripheral member 11 upon the Web ofwhich there is mounted a series of cams 12. The rim'13, which is of anysuitable construction, serves to hold the tire and engages with thechannel member 11 along approximately one-half the circumference of thewheel. Within the channel member alongthe other half of thecircumference are two gripping members 14, each presenting'a curvedouter surface adapted to engage with the inner surface of the rim, andeach having upon its inner surface a series of cams adapted to engagewith the cams 12 within the channel member 11. To this extent theconstruction does not involve any feature of my present invention Myinvention relates to the means for spreading the two gripping members 14apart and for drawing them together, the preferred form of the saidmechanism being clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. Adjacent the opposed endsof the gripping members 14-14 one side flange of the channel 11 isoffset to form a recess or chamber 15, and midway between the ends ofthis recess or chamber a transversely extending rotatable screw 16 issupported. This screw is held against longitudinal. movement bysuit-able nuts or flanges on the ends thereof, which engage with theside flanges of the channel. The screw at one end has a head 17 by meansof which the screw may be rotated and ad jaccnt this head there ispreferably em- 4 ployed a nut lock 18 for normally reventing therotation of the screw. is not lock is formed of a )iece of spring metalhaving one'end rigidly secured to the side of the folly or adjacentpart, and having the other end in the form-of a yoke or pair of jaws forengagement with the head 1.7. Beneath the head is a groove, so that as awrench or other tool is forced onto the head, the nut lockwill bepressed inwardly to a point below the head, so that the lat- ---therotation of is adapted crum of the lever 1s a link .22 having one endwith the links 21, so of ter may freely rotate. Upon the removal of theWrench or other tool, the nut lock will automatically spring out intoengagement with the head of the screw to prevent the latter. 1

Within the channel member 11 and between the ends of the grippingmembers 14 is a non-rotatable nut or collar 19 on the screw 16. Therotation of the screw causes this nut or collar to travel transverselyfrom one side flange of the channel 11 tothe opposite side flange. toopposite sides of this links 20, and the outer end of each link 20 isconnected to its corresponding gripping member by a pivoted linlr21.Each link 20 to serve as a lever, and the ful- Pivotally securedpivot-ally secured to the link 20 intermediate of the ends of the latterand having the op posite end pivotally securedwithin the side recess orpocket 15.

In Fig. 2 the parts are illustrated in solid lines in the position whichthey occupy when the gripping members are forced apart to the limitingposition, while the same parts are illustrated in dotted lines in thepositions which they occupy when the gripping members are drawn towardeach other to their limiting positions It will be noted that when thegripping members are drawn toward each other, the links 20, which serveas levers, extend substantially crosswise of the channel. The turning ofthe screw 16 mogres the collar or nut 19 transversely, and not onlymoves the links bodily, but also swings Thus in preading the grippingmembers It apart, a-- predetermined movement of the member: 19 willcause a comparatively rapid outward movement of the gripping members,but as the movement of the member 19 continues, the links 20 approachpositions in alinement with each other and in. alinement that the finalportion the movement of the membe 19 gives an extremely 14.- Themember1.6 may be rotated at uniform speed, and a uniform amount of power maybe exerted. Very little resistance" is otl'ered to the spreading apartof the grippmg members 14 when ward movement, but creases,-theresistance increases and the rapidity of movement decreases at a ratedirectly proportional to the increase in resistance. Thus the links andlevers constitute a e joint in which the greatest power will be appliedat the'time when the resistance is greatest, even though the screw 16 berotated at uniform speed.

he form illustrated in the drawingscom stitutes only one embodiment ofmy invention, as it is evident that other mechanisms may be designedwhich operate to secure the they begin their outthem on their movablefulcrums nut or collar are' ferentially and rim to retain the lattersmall movement of the membersas the .movement in gripping memberintermediate 0 desired results and which fall within the scope of myinvention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim as new and desire to secure by Letters vehicle wheel having aremovable rim,

two gripping members movable circu n'iferen .tially and adapted toengage with the rim to retain the latter in position, a rotatableoperating member, and two levers each con necting the operating memberto its corresponding gripping member, each having portions movabletransversely of the rim. 3. A. vehicle wheel having a removable rim, twogripping members movable circum ferentially and adapted to engage withthe rim to retain the latter in position, a rota table operating member,and two levers each connecting the operating member to its corresponding gripping member and each having movable fulcrum. at. A vehiclewheel having a removable rim, two gripping members movable circumadaptedto engage with the inposition, a rotatable operating member, anon-rotatable nut mounted on said rotatable meniiber, a pair of linkspivotally connected with said nut, a second pair of links each pivotallyconnecting one of said first-mentioned links to its correspondinggripping member, a otal support for each of said. first-mentioned linksintermediate 5. A vehicle wheel having a felly, a remov able rim, acircumferentially movable'gripping member intermediate of said folly andsaid rim, a transversely. member adjacent to the end of the gripp ngmember, and a to gle joint connection be tween said rotatabfie memberand said gripping member. 6. A vehicle wheel having a felly, a removablerim, a ciro'umferentially movable gripping member intermediate of saidto ly and sai rim, a. transversely disposed rota table member adjacenttothe end of the gripping member, a lever, connections between and a.piv-

of the ends of the latter! disposed rotatable of said lever and saidgripping member.

7. A vehicle wheel having a telly, a removable rim, a circumferentiallvmovable and said rim, a transversely disposed. rotatable member adjacentto the end of the gripping member, tween one end of said lever ai'idsaidrotatable said felly a lever, connections be table member adjacentto the end of the gripping member, a lever, connections between one endof sald lever and said rotatable member, connections between the otherend of said lever and said grippin member, and a link having one endthereo pivotally secured to said lever intermediate of the ends of thelatter and having the opposite end securedto a fixed ivot.

9. A vehicle w eel having 'a removable rim, a circumferentially movablegripping member for retaining said rim in position, a transverselyextending rotatable member, link connections between said rotatablememher and said gripping member, a non-circular head on said rotatablemember adapted to be engaged by a'wrench or other tool, and a lockingmember in the form of a sprin having one end thereof secured to sai wheeand having the opposite end normally resiliently pressed into lockingengagement with said head. i

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribin witnesses.

lPVILLIAM L. HOWARD. .lVitnesses:

CLAIR W. FAIRBANK, JOHN P. DAVIS.

Copies 01 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner 01 Patenta Washington, D. G."

